July 15, 2020
Two physicians and a medical student have joined the Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) Board of Trustees, and the Board has selected a new officer. The new trustees and officer began serving this summer for TMAF, the philanthropic arm of the Texas Medical Association.
TMAF supports statewide and local initiatives that focus on disease prevention, healthier lifestyles, and increasing people’s access to health care. Long-standing TMA programs the foundation funds include TMA’s Be Wise – ImmunizeSM, a program to provide vaccinations and increase awareness that vaccines are safe and effective, and the Hard Hats for Little Heads bicycle helmet giveaway program to encourage Texas youth to exercise – and do so safely. TMAF also supports other health improvement programs such as Walk With a Doc Texas, part of an international grassroots movement devoted to fostering healthy physical activity and strengthening patient-physician relationships, as well as programs to grow the physician workforce.
Austin
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| Helen Schafer |
Helen Schafer, a third-year medical student at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, will serve a two-year term on the TMAF Board as alternate representative from the TMA Medical Student Section (TMA-MSS). Before starting medical school, she worked for two years as a community health educator for the Peace Corps in Nicaragua and founded Tiny House Coffee Roasters, a coffee shop in Austin. Ms. Schafer is a TMA-MSS delegate to TMA’s House of Delegates and is a member of the Travis County Medical Society.
Dallas
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| Gates Colbert, MD |
Gates Colbert, MD, a Dallas nephrologist in practice for seven years, will represent the TMA Young Physician Section (TMA-YPS) on the TMAF board for two years. Dr. Colbert is immediate past chair of the TMA-YPS and serves on TMA’s Committee on Physician Distribution and Health Care Access. He is a 2017 graduate of the TMA Leadership College. Dr. Colbert is a member of the Dallas County Medical Society. He practices with Kidney and Hypertension Associates medical group in Dallas.
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| Kim M. Rice, MD |
Kim M. Rice, MD, a Dallas nephrologist in practice for 22 years, was elected to a one-year term as member-at-large on the board’s Executive Committee. She began her three-year term on the TMAF Board in 2019. Dr. Rice served as a member of the TMA House of Delegates, TMA’s policymaking body, from 2012 to 2014. Dr. Rice is a member of the Dallas County Medical Society and a past member of its board of directors. She also served on the Executive Committee of the Texas Transplantation Society from 2016-19. Dr. Rice works with Dallas Nephrology Associates medical group.
Galveston
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| Abdul Abid, MD |
Abdul Abid, MD, a third-year medical resident in pathology at The University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine in Galveston, will serve a one-year term on the TMAF board as representative from the TMA Resident and Fellow Section (TMA-RFS). Dr. Abid serves on the American Medical Association’s RFS Committee on Medical Education. He is a member of several committees of the Texas Society of Pathology and is a member of the Harris County Medical Society.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 53,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. The TMA Foundation raises funds to support the population health, science, and quality-of-care priority initiatives of TMA and the Family of Medicine.
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Contact: Brent Annear (512) 370-1381; cell: (512) 656-7320; email: brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org
Marcus Cooper (512) 370-1382; cell: (512) 650-5336; email: marcus.cooper[at]texmed[dot]org
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